Moorish Tables
After the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the eighth century, Islamic Spain became a cultural mix of influences that shaped both private homes and religious spaces. Moorish design was the name given to this style, which evolved through the 15th century with vibrant tile work, horseshoe arches and lavish ornamentation, most visible at sites such as Granada’s Alhambra and the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. Moorish furniture was often similarly ornate, and featured pieces inlaid with wood, ivory and bone.
When European designers began studying Moorish art and architecture in the early 19th century, it led to a Moorish Revival. Appropriating the style’s decorative flourishes and architectural elements, it promoted a romantic view of Islamic design. Travelers could bring home a memento of what they witnessed in the Middle East, a trend that aligned with a fad for themed interiors. Men’s smoking rooms arranged with ottomans, divans and settees and inlaid tables were especially popular, as were cafés where coffee was served amid bead curtains and colorful floor mats. (Handwoven rugs are a centerpiece of Moorish interiors.) Octagonal rooms with domed ceilings were created for wealthy homes, frequently with furnishings like pipe stands, filigree plasterwork and arched doorways. The horseshoe arch is an iconic attribute of Moorish architecture that, in addition to Spain, can be found in Sicily, Morocco and elsewhere.
Several late 19th to early 20th-century movements featured Moorish touches. The American and English Aesthetic Movement, for example, borrowed liberally from global decorating styles, as seen in furniture designed by Lockwood de Forest, a New York-born artist who mixed Eastern and Western forms. The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau also references the elegant use of geometry in Moorish design, with Milanese Art Nouveau furniture designer Carlo Bugatti drawing inspiration from the style. The Arts and Crafts movement, which prized expressive yet simple design, incorporated Moorish influences; hand-painted furniture and tile work created by William De Morgan, a British designer and potter who made furnishings for the likes of Morris & Co., were informed by techniques from Moorish Spain.
Find a collection of Moorish lighting, decorative objects, folk art and more furniture on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Tables
Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Metal
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Tables
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Brass
20th Century Spanish Moorish Tables
Wood, Acrylic
1980s Asian Vintage Moorish Tables
Bone, Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Hardwood
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Tables
Wood
20th Century Asian Moorish Tables
Brass
20th Century Asian Moorish Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Brass
19th Century English Antique Moorish Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
20th Century Spanish Moorish Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Bone, Wood
20th Century Asian Moorish Tables
Wood, Lacquer
20th Century Moorish Tables
Wood
1950s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Tables
Bone, Walnut
Early 20th Century Syrian Moorish Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Tables
Metal, Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Fruitwood, Walnut
20th Century Syrian Moorish Tables
Bone, Wood
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Tables
Bone, Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Concrete
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Wood
1890s English Antique Moorish Tables
Walnut
20th Century Asian Moorish Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Terracotta
1890s English Antique Moorish Tables
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Copper
19th Century Unknown Antique Moorish Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Bone, Teak
20th Century Moorish Tables
Wood
1990s Moroccan Moorish Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Syrian Moorish Tables
Bone, Abalone, Walnut
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Ebony, Mahogany, Walnut
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Wood, Hardwood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Ceramic
Early 2000s Moorish Tables
Metal
1990s Moroccan Moorish Tables
Wood, Paint
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Cement, Iron
Mid-20th Century Unknown Moorish Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Hardwood
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Tables
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Mid-20th Century Moorish Tables
Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Turkish Moorish Tables
Copper
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Tables
Wood, Cedar
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Tables
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moorish Tables
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tables
Wood